[ LETTER ]

Don't Believe the Internet

Published: Wednesday, September 18, 2013 at 12:01 a.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, September 17, 2013 at 10:36 p.m.

State Rep. Neil Combee, R-Polk City, may not be "the sharpest knife in the drawer," Polk County Democratic Executive Committee member Karen Welzel is reported to have said in the Sept. 7 edition ["Combee Tweet on Syria, Obama Gets Attention"]. She was responding to Combee's comment that our president may have helped plan the chemical weapon attack in Syria.

Combee got this idea from something he read on the Internet. His reaction is part of a much larger and very serious problem: People believe everything they read on the Internet.

What's worse, they pass it on as the truth.

People believe the darnedest things, especially when those things fit into their own agendas. It's no secret that Combee and many, if not most, other Republicans have one item on their agendas: opposing our president no matter what. The hate mail and absurd charges that have flooded the airways for the past six years about our president are unprecedented.

Combee and others seem to fail to understand that the truth is important, that there's a time and place for raising questions, and that raising some questions is nothing but hateful, stupid and counterproductive.

<p>State Rep. Neil Combee, R-Polk City, may not be "the sharpest knife in the drawer," Polk County Democratic Executive Committee member Karen Welzel is reported to have said in the Sept. 7 edition ["Combee Tweet on Syria, Obama Gets Attention"]. She was responding to Combee's comment that our president may have helped plan the chemical weapon attack in Syria.</p><p>Combee got this idea from something he read on the Internet. His reaction is part of a much larger and very serious problem: People believe everything they read on the Internet. </p><p>What's worse, they pass it on as the truth.</p><p>People believe the darnedest things, especially when those things fit into their own agendas. It's no secret that Combee and many, if not most, other Republicans have one item on their agendas: opposing our president no matter what. The hate mail and absurd charges that have flooded the airways for the past six years about our president are unprecedented.</p><p>Combee remains unrepentant. He's reported to have said it's everyone's responsibility to raise questions.</p><p>Combee and others seem to fail to understand that the truth is important, that there's a time and place for raising questions, and that raising some questions is nothing but hateful, stupid and counterproductive.</p><p>WILLIAM A. QUINLAN JR.</p><p>Haines City</p>